a drop in the ocean
by xporcelain
Summary: AU. If you don't love me, pretend. — LokeAries.
1. keep me closer—  i'm a lazy dancer

**dedication:** to Ron Pope. ohmigosh, take me now.  
><strong>notes: <strong>this thing has no specific plot at the moment. shoot me please. oh, and don't ask anything. you're meant to be left with unanswered questions.

:

**a drop in the ocean**

:

Aries was sprawled out on her bed, hands loosely crossed on her stomach, one leg bent at the knee and the other stretched out, clad in denim cut-offs and a t-shirt she was positive didn't belong to her.

There was— something playing in the background. She wasn't sure what it was, but it had a soft beat that made her want to twirl and smile and cry at the same time.

Aries was oddly emotional, like that.

She stared at her overly cracked ceiling, pursing her lips, then sighed. She really needed to talk to her sister about that— not only was in an eyesore, but she was sure it was a safety hazard. Maybe a couple of posters and some paint...

She didn't hear her bedroom door creak open, nor did she hear the footsteps of someone making their way across her worn hardwood floors. She didn't jump when someone sat down on her bed, though— she was far to used to the random visits for them to surprise her anymore.

He laid himself down beside her, joining her in staring at the ceiling and taking one of her hands, absently playing with the variety of rings she kept on it. Aries suddenly found the cracks in her ceiling _very_ interesting.

That was how their relationship worked. He'd do things just for the sake of doing them, and Aries would pretend that no, she wasn't about to have a heart attack.

They stayed in their comfortable (besides from the fact Aries was almost positive her face was on fire and _holy crap how did he do that?_) silence for what seemed like hours. Time spent with him was always like that— passing in a blur, blink and you'll miss it. Eventually, Aries found her voice, and asked in her forever soft tone,

"Shouldn't you be in school?"

She heard him chuckle, "It's my birthday, I can do what I want. You, however, have no excuse."

"Loke..." He _knew_ why. Somewhere, it one of her many notebooks she had randomly scattered around her room, she had it all written out.

Aries = Loke. If they were in the same building or class, they were hanging out together. But Loke = fangirls, and Fangirls = jealousy. And if Loke + Aries = hanging out = jealous fangirls, then Aries didn't even want to imagine what Loke + Birthday equaled. Honestly, all of the equations gave her a headache, and she'd _tried_ to explain it to him before.

But, instead of answering with the lengthy answer, she said, "High school girls terrify me."

He laughed again, though Aries was unsure whether because he thought it was a poor attempt at a joke, or because he knew she was serious.

"You have no excuse for tonight, though..."

Aries groaned quietly. "Party?"

"Party. Which we are leaving for now. 'Cause I don't trust Natsu alone in my house."

_So I guess it's safe to assume _no one's_ at school._

She sighed, then slowly sat up, looking over at him for the first time. His wild strawberry blond hair was, as always, perfectly messy, and his clothes were, _as_ _always_, perfectly flattering. Added with the fact he was giving her, her favorite mischeavous grin...

"I'm not changing my clothes."

His grin only widened. "Okay."

He sat up, regrabbing her hand and hopping off the bed. Aries followed with a startled squeak, stumbling to regain her balance. Before she could open her mouth to complain—

(Which really wouldn't of been a complain— Aries just didn't _do_ whiney things)

—he cut her off.

"Not that I really mind. I mean, you're wearing my shirt, right?"

Oh. So that was where it came from.

Aries giggled, momentarily forgetting that she was probably getting dragged to her doom.

**:**

**endnotes: **_you can suck my dick if you don't like, my shit~_ in other words, this is for my amusement. kthxbai. oh, and some of these will be longer than others. so, from 200 to 800. & for anyone wondering, at the beginning, Aries was listening to_ collect call_ by _metric_.  
><strong>endnotes2:<strong> Aries OOC? keep in mind— she's not a stellar spirit who was abused by her owners.


	2. doing me up with a black color liner

**dedication: **to cream soda & muffins, cause it's _awesome_.  
><strong>notes:<strong> i'm sorry. this one is like, irrellevant to the entire story. but it has girl time. YAY— -beaten-

**:**

**a drop in the ocean**

**:**

Aries liked Lucy.

Really, she did.

They'd met under fortunate (or unfortunate?) circumstances, and had quickly become friends after. Most assumed that Aries held some sort of dislike for the Heartfilia, mostly due to the fact that Loke had some sort of infatuation with her, but Aries really didn't mind. Really. Why would she?

(Besides, she wasn't the jealous type—

_really_.)

So, in short, Aries and Lucy were friends, and Aries liked the girl. Alot.

However, she very much disliked the fact that the blonde had some obsession with her hair.

"Damnit, I am going to straighten this thing if it's the last thing I do!"

Aries sighed, sinking down in her chair and staring at her moccasin clad feet. Her hair was an untameable, fluffy mess. Everyone knew this. Well, _almost_ everyone.

"Lucy, you're just going to break your straightener..."

"No, I'm not. You're hair is going to be _straight_, and you are going to _love_ me."

Aries stared desperately at the exit to the guest room they were in, wishing she could just run away. She never spent any time on her appearence, and didn't see why others would, either. Looking back at Lucy, she internally cringed- she felt underdressed, and why did the blonde have to be so _perfect_? Perfect, shiny hair, perfect sequined halter, perfect _body—_

_Huh. She and Loke are practically a perfect match._

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt a warmth near her neck, then mentally groaned.

"I don't get a choice, do I?"

"Nope!"

This time, she groaned aloud, shifting her position to give Lucy better access. She started to toy with the small box on her lap, absently nawing on her lip. She wanted to give it to him sometime, but he probably wouldn't have any free time...

As if reading her mind, Lucy snickered from behind her. "Don't worry, I'll get you two some, uh, alone time."

Aries did _not_ like that suggestive tone. "Oh, please..." She mumbled, staring down at the box and trying to ignore the heat crawling up her neck.

"Besides, you know he's just about inlove with you."

Lucy snorted. "Puh-_lease, _he flirts with everyone, remember? He's just trying to win me over so he can officially say he has every girl in Fairy Tail Academy wrapped around his finger," She paused for a moment before adding, "Except Erza, cause she is wrapped around _no one_."

Aries frowned slightly, and before she could stop, found herself saying, "He doesn't flirt with me."

She could hear the smile in Lucy's voice. "That's because he takes you seriously."

**:**

**endnotes:** there are so many induendos in this chapter.


	3. we came to get crunk— how bout you

**dedication: **to the people at Fairy Tail Writing Challenges. oh god, i love you all.  
><strong>notes: <strong>hjklh. i kind of like this and kind of don't. BUT THERE'S LOKE— sort of. LOKE NEXT CHAPTER I PROMISE.

**:**

**a drop in the ocean**

**:**

Aries was out of her element.

Way, _way_ out of it.

She followed Lucy around the large room, practically clinging to the girl's arm. Thankfully, Lucy didn't seem to mind, but it didn't do much to settle the pinkette's nerves. She'd yet to see Loke, and the box she had was still sitting in the guest room.

The room was quickly becoming more crowded. Aries tugged on the bottom of her shirt, biting her lip and scanning for room for a sign of orange hair.

Lucy must have noticed her restless look, because she sighed and smiled, tugging on the girl's arm. "C'mon, you look like you need a drink."

Aries laughed wryly, but let herself get towed towards the kitchen, swerving through bodies. Did she even _know_ these people?

When they reached the kitchen, which was surprisingly not full of people, Aries hopped up on the counter, examining her hand as Lucy bustled around doing something.

Aries always loved rings, and her fingers were proof of it. On her right hand, she had four; a simple silver ring with a pink gem, and three gold colored astrological signs— Virgo, Aries, and Leo.

She smiled wryly at the last one. It was odd, he wasn't even a leo, but since it was his middle name, he insisted on giving it to her.

Something red was suddenly shoved in her face. She jumped slightly, looking over to see a grinning Lucy. Looking back at the cup, her eyes widened.

"You were _serious_?"

Lucy shrugged, hopping up beside her to make room for the people who suddenly seemed to be swarming the room. "Why else did you think we were going to the kitchen?"

Aries blushed, taking the cup and staring at it. Lucy laughed at the face she made.

"Don't worry, you wont even taste it. I promise."

The pinkette gulped, then slowly raised the cup up to her lips, taking a hesitant sip. She blinked in surprise, raising an eyebrow at Lucy.

"I'm not coughing my brains out. The movies lied to me."

The Heartfilia laughed. "That's 'cause it's mostly pepsi. Don't worry, you'll get the coughing experience once we get to the shots."

She laughed again at Aries shudder.

Taking another sip, she looked around the kitchen, getting a glimpse into the living room from the large entryway. Loke's house was... big. Aries didn't even know what his parents did for a living. Something that required alot of trips.

_On that topic... _she saw a bright flash from outside of the kitchen doorway. She sighed with relief, spotting Loke talking to Karen Lillica, one of the more... dedicated, fangirls.

Aries shrugged, about to hop off the counter, but paused.

_They look awfully close... Wait, why does that matter? The fangirls are always close to him! But still, he's close, and she's close, and— oh god._

Aries quickly averted her gaze to the ceiling, a slow blush coloring her cheeks.

Feeling someone poke her arm, she looked over to see Lucy with a half amused, half sympathetic look on her face.

"Wanna start those shots early?"

**:**

**endnotes: **goddamnit, Loke, learn to say no. oh, and feel free to point out any mistakes. i'm.. tired right now.  
><strong>endnotes2:<strong> DON'T QUESTION MY DRINKING KNOWLEDGE EVERYONE'S DIFFERENT.


	4. bottoms up— lets go round two

**dedication: **to LMFAO, cause i listened to them over and over for this chapter.  
><strong>notes:<strong> i apologize in advance to Aries. i'm corrupting you. and it's fucking awesome.  
><strong><strong>notes2:<strong>** the wording and thought processes in this chapter are suppossed to be weird. and this is a bit of a longer one. juuust sayin.

**:**

**a drop in the ocean**

**:**

Aries felt funny.

Not the bad, I think I'm going to be sick funny—

(She'd felt that funny the previous hour)

—but the oh my let me dance and sing funny.

It was a really, _really_ nice funny.

She was sitting on one of the couches (were they always this comfy?) with a couple of people (were they always this nice?) talking to Natsu—

Oh. She was talking to Natsu.

When did that happen?

"—so what'm sayin', s'we gotta stick together, y'know?"

Actually, Aries _didn't_ know, so she just nodded instead. From beside Natsu, Lucy laughed. Actually, Lucy was laughing alot. It was kind of contagious. So, Aries laughed, too.

When something was shoved onto her lap, she blinked, numbly reaching for it and lifting it up. Looking at Natsu, she raised an eyebrow. Maybe.

"Whass this?"

He grinned. "Fireball."

"Shoulda known, freakin' pyro..." She murmured, attempting to unscrew the cap. From beside her, Natsu gaped.

"Luce, Aries just insaulted me! _Aries_!"

Lucy laughed harder. "I know, an' it's fucking _fantastic_."

Finally getting the cap off, Aries brought the bottle up— then paused. What if this killed her? Someone had done that to her earlier, thus resulting in her _I think I'm going to be sick_ funny. But what if it _didn't_ kill her?

With a shrug, she tilted her head back slightly, taking down a sip. Swallowing, she blinked again. There was a slight burn, but no queasy feeling, and it tasted like cinnamon. With a shrug, she leaned forward and slid it on the coffee table.

Just as she slouched back against the couch, she thought of something.

"I di'in't give Loke s' present yet."

Natsu, Lucy and Gray (_when did he get here?_) looked over. Lucy's head cocked (or lolled) to the side.

"Oh, _riiiight_, th'alone time."

Aries failed to notice Gray and Natsu's eyebrows shoot up.

"What kinda present _is_ this?"

Aries pursed her lips, eyes squinting. "Somethin' 'bout the guest room..."

Gray choked on whatever he was drinking, and Aries burst out laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world.

"I gotta give it t'him.. time is it?"

"Uh... 11:49..."

Aries eyes widened. "Crap! S'almost not his birthday 'nymore!"

She hopped up— then fell back down. _That didn't work,_ she giggled, taking a different approach and slowly standing up.

—and holy crap, was she on a tightrope? She stared down at the floor, frowning when she noticed how close it was. She stretched her arm down to poke it, frown deepening when all she got was air.

"Lucy, there's something wrong with the floor..."

"Oh _loord_... look, Loke s'over there by th' stereo."

Aries eyes brightened. She had something to give to him, right? She couldn't remember... But she would eventually! She straightened up, taking a step forward, pleased with herself when she didn't fall. She began to stumble her way over, using the people around her to keep herself upright. They didn't seem to mind— hell, some didn't even _notice_.

When she got closer, she saw him talking to someone. But this someone has breasts therefore it didn't really matter. Walking up behind him, she poked him between his shoulder blades, giggling when he jumped. He spun around, blinked, then gaped.

"_Aries_? Holy _shit_, what— do I even— _what_."

Aries ignored him, instead grinning— and Aries did _not_ grin —and grabbing his hand. "I gotta give yah ' yer' present!"

"Oh?"

"Mhm!" She gave a jerky nod, stumbling slightly with the movement, and peered around him to see whoever he was talking to looking quite unhappy.

Aries just giggled again, beginning to drag him in the direction of the staircase. When she got to the bottom, she stared for a moment, then looked at Loke.

" 'can't do these."

He snorted, wrapping an arm around her waist and half carrying her up the stairs. Once they got to the top, Aries slowly walked down the hallway, trying to remember which room she put it in. Pausing at the one at the end, she sucked in a breath, _prayed_ no one was inside, and pushed the door open.

She blinked against the light of the room, looking around, then frowned.

"I ferget where I put it."

She heard him laugh behind her. Which was not _nice_. Turning around, she put her hands on her hips, eyes narrowing. In the back of her mind, she saw her reflection in the mirror on the dresser— hair which was straight now slightly waved at the bottom, eyeliner starting to smudge. Oh yeah, Lucy would kill her.

But that wasn't what was on her mind at the moment. No, what was on her mind was Loke. Cause he was kinda pretty. And she sorta liked him— wait, no— damnit, her mind couldn't process anything. So, with nothing else to do, she jumped/stumbled forward and hugged him.

She smiled when he hugged her back, because hugging Loke was nice. Safe. Why didn't she do it more often?

"How come I haven't seen you tonight?" He murmured, face in her pink locks. Thankfully, Aries liquored up mind didn't process that she should of been blushing her face off. Instead, she thought about the question.

"Um... ther wassa' reason... but I ferget 'gain..."

He laughed. "I can't believe you're drunk."

"Lucy's fault."

He lifted his head back so that he was staring at her. And Aries gulped. She forgot how unnerving his stares were sometimes, so instead focused on something else. Sadly, her gaze fell on his lips.

_Wonder how many people he's kissed tonight—_

_Why am I thinking about this—_

_Did his arms just get tighter—_

_I think he's leaning in—_

_Oh crap I feel funny—_

Aries eyes just about bulged out of their sockets. She clumsily untangled herself from him, turned, flung open the closet, and uncerimoniously began to empty the contents of her stomach. She heard Loke sigh, then walk over, pulling her hair out of the way.

"Oyah, happy— _birthday_."

**:**

**endnotes: **THIS IS NOT A DRABBLE. THIS HAS CROSSED DRABBLE TERRITORY. oh, and i'm tired, so i'll edit this tomorrow. yeah.  
><strong>endnotes2:<strong> lolol Aries and Loke hate me lolol.


	5. that party last night was awfully crazy

**dedication: **to MrsHopeEstheim, cause for some reason I can't comprehend, she likes this.  
><strong>notes:<strong> hangovers suck. i'm jus'sayin. pity Aries, pity her now.

**:**

**a drop in the ocean**

**:**

When Aries woke up, she thought like she was going to die.

Her head felt like someone smashed it against a curb, her throat was sore, her toung felt grossly swollen, and her stomach—

Oh lord, _her stomach_.

With a tiny groan, she cracked open her eyes, looking around the room she was in, in a daze. There wasn't alot of light shining in the window, indicating it was early. She recognized the pale beige walls as one of Loke's guest rooms, but that didn't explain—

_Oh._

Bits and pieces of the night before came flooding back. Aries groaned again, then moaned as the sound sent a shock through her head. She dug her face into the fluffy pillow, wishing she could just curl up and sleep forever.

_Oh god. I think I kissed Lucy. Oh god._

She was pulled out of her self pity by a small grumbling noise. Slowly, she pulled her face from the pillow, turning her head to the side and almost laughing at the sight— _almost_, because if she did, god knows what would happen.

Loke was passed on his back beside her, mouth hanging open slightly and one leg hanging off the bed.

Aries slowly sat up, checking him over. His shirt was rumpled— what else was knew —and, if possible, his hair was messier than normal.

Looking into the mirror on the dresser, she barely supressed a shudder— why did he have to look so... _decent_, when she looked so utterly terrible?

Sighing and shaking her head (then cringing) she slowly reached forward, poking him in the cheek. His eyes immedietely fluttered open, squinted, then closed again.

"Wha' time's'it,"

Aries gave a tiny shrug, then remembering he couldn't see, answered with, "I 'unno."

"Helpful." He yawned, stretching. Cracking his eyes open, he grinned up at her.

"Morning to you, alchy."

Aries simply grabbed the pillow and hid her face in it. "Lemme alone," She mumbled, smothering her blush with the fabric. Loke just snickered.

"Not gonna lie, last night shocked the hell out of me. How much alcohol did you _dri_-"

Aries groaned again, tossing the pillow away and shifting so she was curled up, head between her knee's. "Don't _say_ that word," she moaned, rubbing her temples and attempting to hold down the bile that threatened to shoot up.

"Hey, you okay?" She felt the bed shift, then a warmth on her back as he gave it a small rub. Aries looked up, bleary eyed, then sighed with she met his now concerned looking eyes. "Mhm, just need a distraction... look in the top drawer over there."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

He raised a brow, but complied, crawling to the side of the bed and reaching over, sliding the drawer to the dresser open. Reaching inside, he pulled out a small box wrapped in red.

Once he was back over, Aries smiled sheepishly. "I forgot to give it to you yesterday. I forget why, though..." She frowned, then gave a _tinytiny_ shrug. "Guess it doesn't matter, now... Open it."

Loke chuckled, shaking his head and peeling off the wrapping paper. Tossing it aside, he toyed with the box for a second before popping the lid off. Reaching inside, he pulled out the content.

"Uh, happy birthday," Her sheepish smile came back as he toyed with the bracelet. It was a wide, reddish-brown leather band with a golden leo symbol painted on.

"I know you're not a leo," she attempted to run a hand through her hair, making a face when all she got was knots, "but it reminded me of my ring, and I saw it in that store downtown and just sort of got it on whim," a light blush dusted her cheeks as she stared at her own ring, "I mean, you don't need to wear it—"

"I like it."

Aries blinked for a moment, then looked up, with a tiny, barely there grin.

"Seems like an inside thing, y'know?"

She nodded, biting her lip to hide her growing grin as he slid it on. "Oh, look, it fits," He looked up with a grin of his own, causing Aries to roll her eyes.

"That's kind of the point... though I wonder why I didn't give it to you last night..." She stared off thoughtfully, then looked back at Loke with a slightly raised brow. "Do you know anything about that?"

"No." He answered quickly. Aries narrowed her eyes, and he grinned back. She sighed, then reached for the pillow she'd disposed of, repositioning it.

"Well, I think it's early, so I'm going back to sleep," She yawned, "Guess whatever happened last night didn't really matter."

"Wouldn't say _that_..."

"Hm?"

"Nothing."

Aries stared at him for a second before sighing again, positioning herself back down and closing her eyes. Sinking into the pillow, she yawned again, once again wondering just how early it was before feeling sleep take over.

_I really do wonder what happened, though._

**:**

**endnotes:** oh, Aries, you innocent little bugger. & these chapters are too damn long! next one is short. i think.. hehe.  
><strong>endnotes2: <strong>& that party last night was awfully crazy, i wish we taped it, i danced my ass off and had this one girl completely naked~  
><strong>endnotes3:<strong> hey, you. yeah, you, the one lurking in the corners. drop a review and tell me what you think? (a)


	6. think we kissed but— i forgot

**dedication: **to singing in the rain— it's _awesome_.  
><strong>notes: <strong>i dislike this. but, i wasn't even supposed to put this on tonight. guys, i'm dead on my feet right now. so ignore all spelling/grammar mistakes there may be, i'll fix them tomorrow.  
><strong>notes2:<strong> this chapter title sucks, i know. i couldn't think of anything else. any suggestions as to what i should change it to? (a)

**:**

**a drop in the ocean**

**:**

Aries remembered when she got home.

After waking up a second time, at a more reasonable 11:30, she'd stolen a pair of sweat pants, another shirt, and said her goodbyes— _after _gulping at the people passed out around the house and cleaning out the closet.

_Only thing he'd _let_ me clean— you _don't_ just throw a party and hire maids... I wonder what people who can't afford it do..._

Aries shrugged, climbing up the stairs to her apartment. Virgo should of been working until 5:00, so that gave her time to try to clean herself up. Reaching under the mat for the spare key, she sighed, unlocking the door and stepping in.

She felt better, but still sick. Hoping a shower would settle her nauseous stomach, she kicked off her shoes, heading for the bathroom. Turning the tap on and stripping off her oversized clothes, she stared at the water thoughtfully. A few more memories of the night before had come back, each more embarassing than the next. Maybe she just needed to start from the beginning?

Stepping into the hot shower, she sighed, letting her shoulders droop and thinking. _Okay, first, Lucy spent around three hours on me... _She cringed at the memory, pouring shampoo into her hands and lathering it in. _Then, we wandered around the house for a bit, _she rinsed her hair, working in conditioner and wincing at the tangles, _Then Lucy dragged me to the... kitchen? Then she gave me the drink, and then the shots came— wait, wasn't there a reason?_

Aries eyes narrowed, brow furrowed as she thought. _Yeah, there was. But— oh, yeah. Karen._

She gulped, rinsing herself off once more and shutting off the water. Grabbing a towel from the cubort and wrapping it around herself, she huffed. Why did she care? Loke always did stuff like that. She and him were friends— no, they were _best_ friends. She should off been joking about his ways with everyone else, not getting worked up over it.

Shaking her head, she toweled her hair, snatching the clothes from the floor and heading to her room. Heading to her dresser, she yanked open the top drawer, grabbing random bra and panties. Changing, she tried to remember everything else. She didn't get much— a tiny half-assed conversation here, a false alarm trip to the bathroom there...

Yanking her damp hair back in a bun, she collapsed on her bed, sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose. There was _something_ she was missing. _Okay, think 'end of the night.'_

She'd been talking to Natsu— sort of —something about people sharing the same hair color sticking together. Then, somehow, she'd ended up with Loke— right? Then something about stairs, and a door, and a hug. Wait, she hugged him? ... Huh.

_Okay. So I hugged him. And I think he said something. Then-_

Aries was suddenly sitting up.

She blinked.

Then blinked again.

Then felt a blush shoot onto her face.

"Um. Uh. Um. Active imagination. Very active." She squeaked to herself, lightly slapping her cheeks. There was no way that happened— or almost happened— or _whatever_.

"No more alcohol. Ever." She muttered to herself, scrambling off the bed and heading to the kitchen for a large, _large_ cup of coffee.

Because there was just no way— no. Not possible. Just, _no_.

_I think I'm gonna be sick... again._

**:**

**endnotes: **i love you guys. your reviews make me feel giggly inside.  
><strong>endnotes2:<strong> FLASHBACK NEXT CHAPTER YAY~


	7. i'll be your bestfriend & you'll be mine

**dedication: **to cotton candy and vanilla icecream~  
><strong>notes:<strong> this.. is so.. _fluffy_. just.. looking at the last chapters, then this, i realize this story has no genre. none. makes it fun, no? oh, and for whoever was wondering about a Loke POV— maybe. for me, writing Aries is easy. i've never written Loke, kinda intimidates me, so i'm not making any promises. _maybe_.

**:**

**a drop in the ocean**

**:**

Aries still remembered the first time she met Loke.

She'd been seven, at the grocery store with her mother and sister. It was a known fact that Aries, like most other seven year olds, didn't like walking through aisle after aisle. So, instead, she'd asked her mother if she could wait in the front, infront of the vending machiene.

She'd been standing there, clicking button after button, frowning when nothing came out.

"I don't think that's gonna work."

She looked over. Standing there was a boy, slightly taller than her, with wild orange hair and a grin that took up half his face.

Aries merely blushed, terrible at any social interation. He didn't seem to notice.

"You need to put money in," He continued, digging into his pocket and pulling out a handful of change. He stepped infront of the vending machiene, causing Aries to scitter back a few steps, and with a small shrug shoved all of the change in. Turning back to her, he cocked his head to the side in thought, then turned back and clicked a button. As a pop dispensed, he reached down and grabbed it. Facing towards her, he held it out.

Aries blinked, blushed more, and timidly took it. Reading the can, she cocked her own head to the side. "W—why cream soda?" She squeaked, blush deepening. He merely grinned again.

"Cause it matches your hair. If they had cotton candy, I'd get that, cause your hair look like cotton candy."

"Hm..." She mumbled, toying with the can and looking around. Who was this strange person talking to her? Virgo told her not to talk to strangers— what if she just walked out— oh no, Aries would get _the stare—_

"I'm Loke. Who're you?"

Aries blinked again. Then processed the question once, twice. Then blushed _again_.

"Uh— um— Aries."

He paused. "Like the star thing?"

"N— yes, like the star thing."

"Huh..." He paused again. "Your parents must be weird."

Surprisingly, Aries giggled. It didn't feel like he was being rude, more like stating a fact— one she already knew, but still. Plus, _she_ wasn't the one getting called weird, so she didn't really mind.

Another moment passed before she spoke up.

"Who're you here with?"

"My friend and his mom— oh, crap." A look of distress crossed his face, while a look of shock crossed Aries.

_He— he just said— the C word— _

"They went in without me! Sorta— I was behind them, but wanted to talk to you, cause you looked lonely— I gotta go." Hoping back a step, he grinned wryly, giving a small wave.

"I'll see you later— maybe. No, wait, I will. Yeah." He nodded to himself, grinned and waved again, and darted into the store, shouting a, "See yah, Aries!" over his shoulder.

Aries just stood there, staring at the store doors. Slowly, a tiny, tiny smile stretched onto her face.

When her mother and sister finally made it out, she was still smiling, oblivious to the questions of where she got the pop— _and_ Virgo's stare.

And when she and Loke were in the same class the following year, it was only fate that they were meant to be friends, right?

**:**

**endnotes: **i love little kids. sort of. some, i just wanna hug. some, i just wanna punt. eh.


	8. i'm staying up all night hoping—

**dedication: **TO YOU GUYS CAUSE THIS IS LATE.. still love me.. ?  
><strong>notes: <strong>i suddenly got inspiration again. YEEES~ but this chapter was half written before i got my inspiration, so it sucks...  
>but, i have like, a tiny series of Loke POV chapters planned out. so. yeah. a rarity, but they're there!but, they won't be in as much detail as Aries. coz. i like to keep you guys guessing &amp; thinking.<br>.. yeah, _that's_ it.

**:**

**a drop in the ocean**

**:**

Loke liked people, boys and girls alike.

(Though mainly girls cause, hey.

They were attractive, he was attractive, it made sense, right?)

Though his main reason for liking people— besides from the fact only hermits _didn't_ —was because he simply hated (and hate's a _strong_ word) being alone. He'd had enough of _that_ growing up, and didn't see why he'd had to deal with it again.

Besides, if you were alone then your mind was free to wander, and he'd learnt that wandering minds were dangerous, dangerous things.

Moving on, his "abandonment issues," as Lucy called them, were what resulted in him walking with Gray to the bathroom—

(A.K.A walking around the school and arriving back at class as the bell rang)

—instead of staying in the class by himself. Okay, not by himself- there were people there... just not people he felt like talking to at the moment. In other words, girls who obsessed over him, guys that got pissed because the girls were obsessing over him, and a teacher who was annoyed because the guys were pissed.

Yeah... not Loke's cup of tea.

"So," Gray drawled, looking over and raising a brow, "What happened with Aries on Friday? Last I saw, you were helping her up the stairs."

Loke barely suppressed his snort. "Oh, _that _was interesting."

Gray's eyes widened. "Please tell me you didn't."

"Maybe…"

"Loke, I _will kick your ass__—_"

"Calm down," he laughed, shaking his head, "Nothing happened." Well, nothing Gray needed to know. "Just— " Cutting himself off, he shot Gray a sideways stare.

"_Why_ would you kick my ass?"

Gray shrugged. "Dunno. Aries is too innocent to be defiled by someone like you."

"Someone_ like me_," Loke scoffed, managing to look insulted. Gray shrugged again.

He absently looked up at the ceiling, counting the lights as they passed them. He'd _almost_ made it to eighty-three when Gray spoke again.

"Not that there's really anything to worry about. I mean, Aries has known you since forever, so I guess she'd know all of your tricks."

"Ye_p_," Loke responded, lips popping on the '_p_.'

"Plus," he continued, "She's probably heard just about all of your stories. I mean, she'd have to be pretty out of it to consider anything with you."

"Yee_p_."

"_And_— "

"Please stop talking," Loke sighed, drooping his shoulders and staring ahead flatly. Gray grinned, shrugging his shoulders again and playing with a loose thread on his uniform.

"Just sayin'. C'mon, bell's gonna ring soon, and we need to get ready for this pep rally shit."

If possible, Loke's shoulder's drooped more. "Do we _have_ to? These things are _stupid_, and _monotonous_ and—"

"The girl's volleyball team is gonna be in uniform."

"—and suddenly I'm interested again."

**:**

**endnotes: **lolol defiled.  
>aw, were you expecting them talking about feelings and stuff?<br>.. TROLOLOLOLOL pleasedon'thateme.  
><strong>endnotes3:<strong> Gray should pop out of the manga and live in my bedroom. like, now.  
>is it wrong that i think everyone— besides from Loke —is gonna think of Aries as something innocent that should always remain innocent?<br>**endnotes4:** I LOVE NOTES~ anyways, five guesses who's on the volleyball team. here's a hint; THIS FUCKING STORY'S ABOUT THEM.  
>uh, anyways…<p> 


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